Comparative Climate Change Governance: Lessons from European Transnational Municipal Network Management Efforts

ABSTRACT Cities and municipalities are vital actors in addressing climate change. Because they are directly affected by the consequences of environmental transformations, cities are motivated to shape adaptation and mitigation. This paper looks at the possible mechanisms which cities can use to engage in climate change issues without decoupling themselves from the national or sub‐national level and while remaining consistent with other local initiatives. The paper analyses the European approach towards transnational municipal networks (TMNs) and community collective efforts and assesses its possible application in other jurisdictions. We argue that while TMNs are the institutional foundation for a concerted effort in climate change within and between countries; they are also subject to provisions from national and regional governments, which might hamper their benefits. Based on a typology of TMNs and an analysis of the national contexts, the paper finds that those networks that target a specific region and are supported by government have the most benefits for climate change. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.